Deaths Of Islands People

Godfrey Dawson Hill The death in Suva on April 14 of Mr. Godfrey Dawson Hill broke a link with Britain’s early days in Fiji, for Mr. Hill was bom at Rabe on October 18, 1874, only eight days after Fiji was ceded to the British Crown.

After being educated in Tasmania, Mr. Hill joined Morris Hedstrom Ltd. in Fiji and was associated with the produce side of the business for many years.

In 1930, he began a dairy in Domain Road, Suva; and later he worked at the Fijian Office.

Mr. Hill left a widow, formerly Miss Ivy Hunt, and three children by his first marriage Dennis and Noreen, who live in Tasmania, and Ivor, a resident of Nigeria.

Mrs. Edith Kirby Lord Howe Island’s oldest resident, Mrs. Edith Kirby, died on April 19 at the age of 85. Affectionately known to islanders and to thousands of visitors as “Aunty Ede” she was as much a part of Lord Howe life as the famous Pine Trees Guest House.

Mrs. Kirby before her marriage was a member of the prominent Nichols family. Her father, Thomas Nichols, was a master mariner and one of the first men to attempt to establish a regular shipping service between Lord Howe and Sydney using his own vessels.

Her husband, George Kirby, once Lord Howe’s schoolmaster, died more than 30 years ago.

Mrs. Kirby is survived by two sisters, a son, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Mr. Charles Ernest Davis The death occurred at his home at Sydney on April 7 of Mr. Charles Ernest Davis, owner of Sicacui Plantation, New Ireland, since 1927.

He was 63.

Mr. Davis and his wife went to New Guinea in 1926 and bought the plantation the following year from the Ex-pro Board. Mr. Davis was sole owner. He ran the plantation until the Pacific war, when Mrs.

Davis went to Sydney and Mr. Davis joined the Australian Army in Port Moresby. He had also served in World War I.

Ater the war, Mr. and Mrs. Davis ran a poultry farm for many years in Sydney, before retiring to live at Collaroy, a Sydney suburb. He still

retained ownership of Sicacui planta tion and returned to the Territory frequently, keeping up with all his Territory friends.

Mr. Davis is survived by his widow, Maud.

Mr. J. Callaghan The death occurred in Queensland in March of Mr. Jim Callaghan, who worked in the BSIP for about 12 years until his retirement in October, 1962. Mr. Callaghan first went to the BSIP about 1949 for the Guadalcanal Plantation and Trading Company at Lavoro. He later look up an appointment with the Govern ment Trade Scheme, and in January, 1952, he joined the Treasury and Customs Department. He remained with the Customs Department for the next 10 years.

Mrs. Grace Ward Mrs, Grace Ward, widow of the late Mr. Albert Ward, of Fiji, died on March 14, 1964, at the home of her daughter Olita in New York. The family lived for many years on a plantation at Natuvu, Buca Bay, Fiji, Mrs. Ward also leaves a son, Gilbert, in New York. Her body was brought to Fiji, and interred alongside that of her husband in the plantation.

Ravuama Vunivalu Ravuama Vunivalu, a colourful and forceful Fijian MLC, died in London on April 7 at the early age of 42, after a short illness. He had arrived in London about a month earlier on vacation leave from his post as District Officer, Suva.

A brilliant student, Ravuama was the second Fijian to receive the degree of Bachelor of Arts. The first was the late Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna. Ravuama was educated in Auckland and at St. John’s College, Cambridge.

He joined the Fiji civil service in 1938, and served in a number of de partments where his bilingual ability was most useful. In 1950, he became a member of the Legislative Council for the first time, but resigned after a few years to join the Ist Battalion, Fiji Military Forces, which was then engaged in eliminating Communists from the jungles of Malaya. Return ing to Fiji in 1956, Ravuama re joined the Civil Service as secretary of the Education Department, hold ing that post for three years.

In 1959, he was again back in the Legislative Council, displacing Ratu

George Cakobau, the chief to whom he owed allegiance, on the Fijian side of the House. He soon made his mark as a forceful debater and a brilliant speaker, although sometimes inclined to become too rhetorical.

He earned something of a reputa tion of being an “Indian baiter”, par ticularly if an Indian member had the temerity to suggest that the Fijians give up some of their land.

For all that, he retained the re spect of the Indian race. They knew, as did others, that although Ravuama naturally was* pro-Fijian, he was pro- Fiji above all else. Some of his closest friends were Indians.

When Fijians were given the vote for the first time in 1963, the Coun cil of Chiefs put Ravuama up as a candidate for the Northern Con stituency. It looked a hurdle from the start as Ravuama, owing allegience to Bau and Tailevu, was not “natural” to the people of Cakaudrove, Bua and Macuata. But he triumphed— for he was returned unopposed.

Ravuama was always in close touch with Fijian opinion, probably much more so than the chiefs, most of whom do not mix with the “common herd” to any great extent.

Thus he was always in a good posi tion to express majority Fijian opinion.

Apart from his service as a Legis lative Councillor, Ravuama served with several other official organisa tions, including the Fijian Affairs Board, Native Land Trust Board and Suva Rural Local Authority.

Ravuama married twice. His first wife was Adi Faranisese Baboboa, daughter of Ratu Savenaca Komaisavai, of Viwa Island, Bau.

His second wife was Adi Asilina Davila, who was with him in London.

Taumaa Koronui Taumaa Koronui, one of the oldest men in the South Pacific, died at Atiu, Cook Islands, on March 26. He was 99.

Sister Marcella Sister Marcella, a teaching sister of thd Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, who spent 48 years in New Guinea, died at Kokopo, near Rabaul, in March. She was 73.

Sister Marcella, whose family name was Hyndes, became a nun in 1915 and was sent to Papua in 1916.

Marion Elmer Reed Marion Elmer Reed, one of the oldest and best-known residents of American Samoa, died at the Samoan Hospital, Utulei, on April 5 at the age of 85. He was widely known as “Liki”.